By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
November 15, 2012-The Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL), the largest league in the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), cancelled the final three weeks of its Fall Season because of the destruction from Hurricane Sandy as not all teams would be able to play because of lost fields. The shortened season also gives soccer families extra time to rebuild.
In coordination with Long Island Cares, the LIJSL held a food drive last weekend, November 10 and 11, at the Peter Collins Soccer Park in Plainview and the LIJSL office in Ronkonkoma. 2,000 lbs. of food in addition to numerous boxes of personal care and home-cleaning items were donated by soccer families.
The LIJSL’s East Islip Soccer Club is hosting an impromptu soccer tournament this weekend, November 17 and 18, named Soccer vs. Sandy. The soccer club released the following statement:
With the devastation and toll that Hurricane Sandy has left behind, many leagues have decided to cancel the rest of their season. We agree with the decision entirely but also understand there are many who may want to play and also get involved in a relief effort to help those most affected. With that in mind, we have decided to put together a mini-tournament to allow our kids to get a closing to the soccer season and help out in the relief effort as well.
An anticipated 64 youth intramural and travel teams will be playing all weekend at Westbrook Fields and Country Village Fields. All proceeds will go toward Hurricane Sandy relief efforts with the East Islip Soccer Club matching proceeds up to $5,000. The club is also interested in corporate or small business sponsors helping out as well.
"We’re looking to have a friendly match between the East Islip and West Islip Soccer Club Board of Directors this Sunday. The West Islip Soccer Club has offered tons of support for this effort by way of teams, volunteers and even fields should we need to use them," commented tournament director Jesse Maldonado.
For more information about Soccer vs. Sandy, please contact Jesse at intramural.registrar@eastislipsoccer.com or 631-559-0830.
With 123,843 youth soccer players––68,587 boys and 55,256 girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 12 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Special Children. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.